Below is an excerpt from A to Z Toddler and Preschool Curriculum. It is the lesson plan for the week of Valentine’s Day. Pick and choose the ideas you like or do a few each day to complete them all. I have a printable lesson plan sheet with all of the activities already assigned to days. Email me if you’d like a free copy. info@toddlerbitesonline.com
Special Holiday Week
Letter: Review
Color: Red
Number: Review
Shape: Heart
Scripture: …Love one another; as I have loved you…
John 13:34
Theme: Valentine’s Week/Love
Bible
Scripture: …Love one another; as I have loved you… John 13:34
Tell story of the Good Samaritan. Keep it simple: A man was walking along theroad. Some men robbed him and he was hurt. Three people passed by, but only the third man stopped to help. He bandaged the man’s hurt places and gave him
money to stay in a hotel until he was better. Have child place band aids on doll or stuffed animal to roll play how the Good Samaritan took care of the man in the story.
Discuss helping others. Have child help you clean up by using large laundry
basket and having him pick up toys around house. Let your child pass out the napkins at supper.
Theme Learning
Who was Saint Valentine? It is believed that Saint Valentine was a priest in Rome who helped Christians who were persecuted during that time (there are other legends about who this Saint was)
Who Do You Love? Talk about what it means to love someone. Who do you love? How can you show love to others?
Valentine’s Day Traditions Today: candy, parties, flowers, hearts, balloons, card exchange, etc.
Valentine Cards Through the Years: show examples (if possible, from different eras)
Letter Skills
Review Letters covered so far
Review all letter boxes A – P (each week, fill empty wet wipes containers with things that begin with the letter of the week…you will have 26 boxes at the end of the year)
Sing the Alphabet Song to review all letters
Erase the letter – write letters learned so far on the board (A-P); have student come up and erase the letter you say; repeat so that everyone has a turn
Pick a Pocket game – purchase one of those hanging shoe organizers with lots of pockets; put a letter in each (cut out from paper or use ABC magnets); children take turns coming up and pulling letter from pocket – he should tell what letter it is and what sound it makes
Trace magnetic alphabet letters
Alphabet stamping – purchase a set of ABC stamps and stamp pad and let the children stamp the letters on white paper
Play dough with alphabet cookie cutters
Sing: What’s the Sound song to review all letters
What’s the Sound – tune B-I-N-G-O
What’s the sound that starts these words
_____ and _____ and ______
/ / is the sound, / / is the sound, / / is the sound
That starts ____, _____, and _____.
Math
Review Numbers covered so far
Flashlight Writing – turn off the lights and use a flashlight to “write” a number on the wall or ceiling; children must try to guess what number you wrote
Who Has # __? game – give each child an index card that has a number on it; call out a number and those children who have it should stand; repeat several times and then let the children switch numbers with their neighbor
Fishing for Numbers – provide a stick with yarn tied on one end; hot glue a magnet to the other end of the yarn; cut out fish shapes and add large metal gem clip at mouth; let children take turns fishing for the number you call out…or have
them pull out a fish and tell you what number it is
What Comes After game – call out a number and have children try to tell what number comes next…before
Shape Practice
Heart Hide and Seek: Hide heart cutouts all over the room and let your toddler go on a heart hunt.
Purchase heart shaped stickers readily available around Valentine’s Day. Give your child a piece of construction paper and let him put the stickers all over it.
Color
Play with red play dough.
Finger paint with red paint.
Stained Glass Heart hanging: Purchase colorful tissue paper and clear contact paper. Have your toddler tear tissue paper into small pieces. Precut the tissue paper into small squares if you would rather. Have toddler place red tissue paper
pieces on sticky side of one piece of contact paper. When finished, add piece of contact paper on top and smooth out with hand. Cut out in the shape of a heart. Punch a hole and attach a piece of red yarn. Hang in a window for a stained glass
heart.
Art
Make Valentine Cards: provide lots of supplies and stickers and let children get creative
Valentine Card Bucket: Ask a local restaurant or school lunchroom to save large vegetable cans for you. Wash the cans out and spray paint red, white or pink. Drill two holes on either side of the can. Let your child add fun foam hearts, heart
stickers, or decorate with paint and sponge shapes. Add ribbon through the drilled holes to make a handle. Have children bring in Valentines to exchange. Be sure each bucket is clearly labeled with child’s name. Send home a class list
for parents in advance.
Music
Teach sign language for I love you: open hand wide; put tall finger and ring finger down
Teach sign language for Jesus Loves Me and sing while signing: for Jesus you point to the palms of each hand…one and then the other using tall, middle finger; for loves you cross your arms in front of your chest; for me just point to yourself
Sing: “Jesus Loves the Little Children.” Use sign language for word love.
Game Time
Place several shoeboxes on a table. Fill them with different colored construction paper hearts cut into a variety of sizes. Have your child sort the hearts according to size, color, or both.
Blow Kisses: Toddlers LOVE blowing kisses. Blow a kiss to your toddler and have him blow one back. Repeat over and over. Try up high, down low, to the right, left, etc.
Valentine Bingo – see Resource section for game board and pieces
A Tisket, A Tasket game – provide a basket with heart cut out; have the children form a circle; give one child the basket and have him walk around the outside of the circle as we sing the following; he should drop the heart and see if that child
can catch him before he gets back to his seat (run around outer circle much like you do for the game Duck, Duck, Goose)
A Tisket, A Tasket song:
A tisket, a tasket, a green and yellow basket
I wrote a letter to my friend
And on the way I dropped it
Who Stole My Heart? Game – played like Doggy, Doggy, Where’s Your Bone; have children sit in circle; one child sits in chair facing away from others; place a heart cut out under chair; point to one child who quietly comes up and gets heart
and hides between legs; everyone says, “Who Stole Your Heart?” and the child in chair turns around and has three guesses
Snack Idea
Hershey’s Kisses & pretzels make a sweet and salty treat
Cupcakes with red sprinkles: Make cupcakes with white frosting. Buy red sugar sprinkles and let your toddler shake away. This is messy, but so much fun for your toddlers. He/she will be so proud of the cupcake he helped decorate. Older
preschoolers may be able to frost their own cupcake with plastic butter knife.
Fieldtrip Ideas
Visit a local Nursing Home and sing songs, pass out Valentine Cards
Have a Valentine’s Day Party
Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas
“Here’s a little something sweet to make your breakfast toast a treat!” Have your child mix sugar and cinnamon together in large plastic mixing bowl. Let him spoon the mixture into clean baby food jars. Place fabric circle or seasonal
cupcake liner on top of lid. Wrap with rubber band and then tie with pretty ribbon or yarn. Attach a card with message above. Give to grandparents, elderly neighbor, friends, etc. as Valentine’s Day gift.
“You’re Cut Out to Be My Valentine” Have your child decorate a precut heart shape tag with message above written on it. Use ribbon to attach to heart shaped cookie cutter. Give as a gift to church teachers, grandparents, etc.
“Dough you want to be my Valentine?” Make homemade play dough (recipe below). Put in zip lock bag with card that has message above written on it. Give to Sunday School classmates and friends.